Chapter 12 - GILDED CAGE

Adeline woke to a softness that felt wrong.The bed beneath her was wide and warm, the sheets smooth against her skin in a way she had never known. Light filtered in gently, not harsh, not forced—natural sunlight spilling through tall windows that stretched toward a ceiling she couldn't see.For a heartbeat, she forgot where she was.Then memory slammed back into place.She sat up sharply, breath uneven, eyes scanning the room.It was beautiful.That was the problem.The walls were painted a pale cream, unmarked, untouched. Heavy curtains framed the windows, their fabric rich and expensive. A vanity stood near the glass, adorned with perfumes, brushes, and delicate jewelry arranged with deliberate care—as if someone had planned exactly how she should feel when she saw them.Wanted. Valued. Chosen.Her chest tightened.This wasn't kindness.This was strategy.She slid off the bed and crossed the room slowly, every step cautious. The carpet swallowed the sound of her feet. When she reached the window, she placed her hands against the glass and pushed.It didn't move.She tried again, harder.Nothing.A cage, then—just one lined with gold.The door opened behind her.Adeline spun around, heart leaping into her throat.Ethan stood in the doorway.He looked unchanged: dark suit, composed posture, eyes that revealed nothing. But she noticed now what she hadn't before—how alert he was, how nothing about him was accidental."You're awake," he said.Her voice came out steadier than she felt. "Where am I?""Your new room.""That's not an answer."Ethan stepped inside, closing the door behind him with a soft click that echoed louder than it should have. "The Don wanted you moved.""Why?"A pause.That pause mattered."Because you're no longer treated as a prisoner," he said.She laughed once, short and hollow. "That's supposed to comfort me?"Ethan didn't react. "You'll have access to the garden. Supervised. Meals will be regular. You'll be given… options."Adeline folded her arms tightly across her chest. "And in return?"Ethan met her gaze then. "You stay."Her throat tightened. "As if I have a choice.""You do," he replied calmly. "You can make this difficult. Or survivable."The words settled deep, heavy with meaning.Before she could respond, another presence filled the room—quiet, commanding, inevitable.Donovan.He hadn't announced himself. He never did.He stood near the doorway, hands in his pockets, eyes moving slowly over the room before settling on her. His gaze wasn't hungry. It wasn't cruel.It was assessing."You don't like it," he said.She didn't bother lying. "I don't trust it."A faint smile touched his lips. "Good."Ethan stepped back instinctively, fading into the background.Donovan moved closer, not invading her space, but close enough that she felt the weight of him. "Fear keeps you sharp," he continued. "Comfort makes you careless.""Then why give me this?" she asked quietly."Because isolation alone would break you," he said. "And I don't want you broken."Her breath caught. "You want me compliant.""No," Donovan corrected. "I want you aware."He gestured around the room. "This is privilege, Adeline. It can be taken as easily as it was given."She held his gaze, refusing to look away. "So this is another way to control me.""Yes."The honesty stunned her more than any threat could have.He leaned slightly closer. "Everything here exists to remind you that your life continues only because I allow it to."A chill crawled up her spine."Rest," Donovan said, already turning away. "You'll need your strength.""For what?" she asked.He paused at the door and glanced back over his shoulder."For becoming mine."The door closed behind him.Adeline stood alone in the center of the room, surrounded by luxury, safety, and silence.And for the first time since she'd been taken, she understood the truth with terrifying clarity:This place wasn't meant to hold her.It was meant to change her.